Syrian refugees are still attempting to cross the Channel in small boats despite asylum claims being suspended by the UK.

An estimated 280,000 Syrian refugees have returned to the country following the fall of dictator Bashar al-Assad and his regime in December.

But many more are yet to return, and some say they no longer consider Syria to be their home given horrible memories of war, or that they have made new homes elsewhere.

Abdel and Sara told the Telegraph they escaped from Syria last October, before Assad’s regime was toppled. When they left, they knew they were saying goodbye for good.

The siblings learnt of Assad’s fall on the way and of the decision by the UK and many other European countries to halt the processing of asylum applications for Syrians.